Chapter 27: It’s all a trap.

Chapter 27: Chapter 27: It’s all a trap.

Chen Guanshan’s gaze remained fixed on the direction in which the Chu Family had disappeared. The words uttered by Chu Wenhai were still resounding in his mind.

Then, seemingly anticipating something, Chen Guanshan spoke.

"Since the Chu Family is here, the other bastards must be here too."

His voice was low, carrying only far enough for the clansmen nearby to hear. He slowly turned his gaze across the enormous gathering area.

It did not take long.

Among the numerous groups gathered around the platform, he quickly spotted two familiar family emblems.

The Li Family.

And the Wang Family.

Both groups had already arrived and were standing separately among the other cultivation families.

"There they are, the two bastard families."

Chen Guanshan’s eyes lingered on the Li Family first.

The relationship between the Chen Family and the Li Family had always been the worst. The hidden battles between the two families could be traced back almost a century.

Blood feuds, revenge, assassination attempts. You name it, almost everything in the book had already been done between the two families.

His gaze moved toward the man standing at the front of the Li Family group.

The man appeared to be in his early sixties, with a lean face, narrow eyes, and streaks of grey running through his otherwise black hair.

He wore dark-brown robes embroidered with the Li Family emblem, while his hands rested calmly behind his back.

Chen Guanshan recognized him immediately.

Li Zhenyuan.

An elder of the Li Family and one of the people who had been involved in several disputes with the Chen Family over the years.

Chen Guanshan himself had never expected the Li Family to actually send his old nemesis to the front line.

It was almost as though the heavens had deliberately arranged this meeting, as if they wanted to see the two old enemies settle their decades-long grudge with their own hands.

As though sensing his gaze, Li Zhenyuan suddenly turned his head, and their eyes met from across the gathering.

A sinister smile slowly appeared on Li Zhenyuan’s face.

Chen Guanshan’s expression remained unchanged.

"That old bastard actually come here today, that’s strange."

His gaze then shifted toward the Wang Family.

Unlike the Li Family, the Wang Family had not directly clashed with them in recent years. Most of the time, the Wang Family had chosen to remain neutral.

However, according to the old agreement between the two families, the Wang Family should have helped them when the Chen Family needed it most.

But alas, a person’s heart could change so quickly that the Chen Family had never anticipated it.

The Wang Family had chosen to betray them by remaining on the sidelines when the Chen Family was attacked by the Li and Chu Families.

It was only after the Chu Family had left that some of the surrounding families began to notice something strange.

They had already noticed the Chen Family’s arrival earlier. The white deer antler emblem had naturally attracted their attention, and several people had recognized them as soon as they entered the gathering area.

However, with the Chu Family’s departure and the surrounding groups settling down once again, some cultivators finally began paying closer attention to the Chen Family.

Then they noticed the number of people standing behind Chen Guanshan.

"Wait."

A cultivator from one of the nearby families frowned slightly as he counted the Chen Family’s members.

"Isn’t the Chen Family bringing too many people?"

His companion followed his gaze.

"Too many?"

"Count them."

The two quietly counted the Chen Family’s members before exchanging glances.

"Twenty people? What’s wrong with them?"

"That’s almost twice the number we’re supposed to send."

"You’re right."

"And all of them are elderly too."

Their conversation quickly attracted the attention of several others nearby.

"What are you talking about?"

"The Chen Family. Look at how many people they brought."

Several heads turned toward the Chen Family. After counting for themselves, the expressions of those cultivators gradually changed.

"How strange."

"Didn’t the City Lord’s Mansion give every family roughly the same number requirement?"

"It did."

"Then why does the Chen Family have nearly twice as many?"

The question quickly spread among the surrounding groups. Chen Guanshan noticed those gazes and naturally heard their discussion.

"Damn it," he murmured under his breath before deciding to pay no attention to the discussion around him. Instead, his eyes remained fixed on the enormous platform ahead.

Time slowly passed as more and more cultivation family groups arrived one after another.

The initially scattered conversations gradually grew louder as the gathering continued, with more figures filling the open area before the enormous platform.

Then, a clear and powerful voice suddenly rang out from the top of the dome.

"Everyone, please remain silent."

The conversations below immediately died down.

The cultivators raised their heads toward the entrance one by one. In the next second, a soldier standing at the top of the staircase stepped forward and turned toward the gathering.

His voice once again echoed across the enormous open area.

"Announcing the arrival of the City Lord of Blue Cloud Mist City, Lord Zhao Mingyuan!"

The moment his voice fell, the soldiers standing around the staircase straightened.

"Announcing the arrival of the City Lord’s Advisor, Lord Sun Qian!"

The surrounding cultivators remained silent as their gazes focused on the entrance. It was somewhat different from the previous gathering years ago, but they remained relatively calm.

Then the soldier’s expression became noticeably more solemn as he read the last name. His next words caused a subtle change throughout the gathering.

"And announcing the arrival of the Imperial Court’s honored guest, Her Excellency, the Imperial Envoy, Lady Zhao Lianyu!"

The words echoed across the entire gathering, and the cultivators below erupted into an uproar.

"Imperial Court?"

"An Imperial Envoy?"

"Why would someone from the Imperial Court come here?"

Clearly, none of them had expected the Imperial Court to send someone of such standing to Blue Cloud Mist City.

The reaction was understandable. The title of Imperial Envoy was not something that could be taken lightly within the Great Yan Kingdom.

Imperial Envoys were a special force directly under the authority of the Imperial Court, serving as both the swords and shields of the kingdom.

They were dispatched whenever threats arose within the kingdom that ordinary forces were incapable of handling, whether it was demonic activity, dangerous cultivators, or other threats capable of endangering the kingdom’s stability.

Unlike ordinary soldiers or Imperial Court officials, every Imperial Envoy was a true Foundation Establishment Cultivator.

Their purpose was not to govern territories or interfere with the affairs of ordinary cultivation families. They existed to eliminate threats.

Whenever an Imperial Envoy appeared, it usually meant that the Imperial Court had deemed a matter serious enough to warrant the attention of one of its strongest forces.

And for one to personally arrive at Blue Cloud Mist City on the very day the cultivation families were preparing to depart for the southern border, it was difficult for anyone present to believe that her appearance was merely a coincidence.

Before the murmurs could spread any further, three figures suddenly appeared above the three main seats on the platform.

The crowd barely had time to react before their pupils dilated. None of them had sensed their presence at all. The three figures had simply appeared beneath the watchful eyes of hundreds of cultivators.

The figure in the center was the veiled woman.

She wore a simple white robe with pale-blue embroidery along the sleeves and hem. Her long black hair fell neatly behind her, reaching almost to her waist, while a thin white veil concealed the lower half of her face.

On her left stood Zhao Mingyuan, the City Lord of Blue Cloud Mist City.

He wore a dark-blue robe embroidered with the insignia of the Great Yan Kingdom.

His short black hair contained several strands of grey, and a neatly trimmed beard framed his firm jaw. A jade pendant hung from his waist beside a simple black scabbard.

On her right stood Sun Qian, the City Lord’s advisor.

He wore plain grey robes, his long black hair tied behind his head with a dark jade hairpiece. Several thin scrolls remained tucked beneath one arm.

The three stood silently above the platform as the crowd gradually registered their presence. Zhao Mingyuan then turned slightly toward the veiled woman and politely gestured toward the seats.

"Her Excellency."

His voice was respectful.

The veiled woman gave a slight nod in return, and only then did the three descend together toward the seats prepared below.

Chen Guanshan watched the three figures descend toward their seats.

His brows slowly furrowed as he sensed that something about this arrangement did not make sense to him.

The arrival of the City Lord and his advisor was perfectly reasonable. This gathering was being held under the authority of the City Lord’s Mansion, so there was nothing unusual about their presence.

But an Imperial Envoy?

Why would the Imperial Court send someone all the way to Blue Cloud Mist City for a gathering like this in the eastern region?

Chen Guanshan’s gaze remained on Zhao Lianyu.

He could not understand what purpose she served here.

"Strange..."

He muttered quietly.

Before he could think any further, Zhao Mingyuan slowly rose from his seat.

The entire gathering immediately fell silent.

His gaze swept across the numerous cultivation families below before he finally spoke.

"Everyone, I believe many of you are wondering why Her Excellency has personally come to our Blue Cloud Mist City, especially on such an important day before our departure."

His voice carried clearly across the enormous gathering area. Zhao Mingyuan paused briefly before continuing.

"Under the order of the High Lord, the Imperial Court has recently discovered evidence of demonic spies operating within the territory of the Great Yan Kingdom."

The moment those words were spoken, the expressions of the surrounding cultivators changed.

"Demonic spies?"

"Within the kingdom?"

A few whispers immediately broke out among the crowd, but they were quickly silenced.

Zhao Mingyuan continued.

"Due to the severity of the matter, the Imperial Court has dispatched Her Excellency, Imperial Envoy Zhao Lianyu, to investigate the cultivation families and forces within this region."

His gaze swept across the gathering once more.

"Her purpose here is simple."

"To ensure that no demonic spies or carriers of demonic seeds have infiltrated the forces gathered in Blue Cloud Mist City before we set off for the southern border."

The words fell heavily upon the gathering.

Chen Guanshan’s expression changed slightly.

Demonic seed?

That particular phrase immediately caught his attention. He exchanged a brief glance with the Chen Family members behind him.

None of them spoke, but inwardly, he felt an invisible malice that seemed to be targeting him and his clansmen.

Sun Qian was the first to speak afterward.

"Your Excellency need not be concerned. There is nothing unusual among the cultivation families gathered here."

His tone was calm and reassuring as he glanced across the gathering.

"The families participating in this year’s expedition have all been investigated beforehand. No suspicious activity has been discovered among them."

He paused.

"However..."

His gaze slowly moved across the numerous groups before stopping on the Li Family.

A faint smile appeared on his face.

"There is one matter that we have always been rather suspicious of."

Almost at the same time, Zhao Mingyuan seemed to recall something.

"Indeed."

His gaze shifted from Sun Qian toward the gathering below.

"There is something I had nearly forgotten."

His eyes moved across the crowd before eventually settling upon one particular group, the Chen Family.

Chen Guanshan noticed the City Lord’s gaze immediately.

Zhao Mingyuan’s expression remained calm as he continued.

"For the past few decades, there has been a certain family that has repeatedly been involved in instigating internal strife among the cultivation families in this region."

The surrounding cultivators gradually turned their heads toward the Chen Family.

Chen Guanshan’s expression slowly became colder.

Zhao Mingyuan continued.

"Conflicts between families."

"Disputes over territory."

"Retaliations and bloodshed."

"Time and time again, they have appeared at the center of such incidents."

His gaze remained fixed upon Chen Guanshan.

"I have reason to suspect that this family may have been infiltrated by demonic forces."

The entire gathering fell silent.

Chen Guanshan’s eyes narrowed.

Behind him, the Chen Family clansmen also became visibly tense. Then, before Zhao Mingyuan could say anything further, the veiled woman raised one hand.

The movement was small, yet it immediately silenced the platform.

"I do not need speculation, Zhao boy."

Her voice was calm, almost indifferent, as it carried across the gathering. She slowly lowered her hand as her eyes peered indifferently toward his face.

"Without evidence, your words are difficult to believe."

"But of course, we have evidence, Your Excellency."

Zhao Mingyuan smiled as he raised one hand and gestured toward the gathering, more specifically toward the Li Family.

"We have witnesses who claim to have seen a member of the Chen Family cruelly murder an innocent man with a demonic technique."

A murmur immediately spread through the crowd. Chen Guanshan’s expression darkened.

He looked toward the Li Family and saw Li Zhenyuan standing among his clansmen, the sinister smile on his face having grown slightly wider.

"What’s your point, Zhao boy?"

Zhao Lianyu’s eyes narrowed slightly above the veil. Her voice remained calm, but there was a trace of impatience within it.

Zhao Mingyuan did not seem bothered by her tone in the slightest as he continued.

"Memories cannot be faked, Your Excellency."

He paused before continuing confidently.

"And since every Imperial Envoy is required to master a technique capable of examining a person’s memories, I suppose there should be no harm in having you read the memories of the witness yourself."

Chen Guanshan’s expression changed.

Something was wrong. Something was definitely wrong with the situation.

He could not yet see where Zhao Mingyuan was going with this, but every word seemed to be leading toward something far more deliberate than a simple investigation.

Zhao Mingyuan’s smile remained unchanged as he muttered,

"All I am trying to do is bring justice, Your Excellency."

"That’s absurd!"

Chen Guanshan could no longer remain silent. His voice rang across the gathering, cutting through the whispers that had begun to spread among the surrounding cultivation families. His face had turned cold as he stared directly at Zhao Mingyuan.

"Why are you suddenly framing the Chen Family, Zhao Mingyuan?" Chen Guanshan demanded, his voice filled with anger. "We have nothing to do with demonic forces, so why are you deliberately directing these accusations toward us?"

His questions carried clearly through the open area, but Zhao Mingyuan did not answer. The City Lord merely looked down at him with the same faint smile on his face.

That expression caused Chen Guanshan’s anger to deepen.

Before he could continue, an elderly cultivator from one of the smaller families slowly stepped out from among the crowd.

His movements were hesitant, and his eyes repeatedly shifted between Chen Guanshan and the platform as though he were reluctant to become involved.

"My family..." he began, his voice somewhat unsteady. "My family has also suffered because of the Chen Family."

Chen Guanshan stared at him in disbelief.

Despite Chen Guanshan’s piercing gaze, the old cultivator swallowed before continuing.

"For years, the Chen Family has demanded a portion of our spiritual herbs and other resources. Whenever we refused, they would remind us that our family was too weak to protect itself without their support."

"What are you talking about?"

One of the Chen Family clansmen immediately stepped forward.

"We have never demanded anything from your family!"

The old cultivator lowered his head and did not respond. Before Chen Guanshan could question him further, another person stepped out from the crowd.

"My family experienced something similar."

This time, it was a middle-aged man from another small cultivation family.

"The Chen Family once interfered with our spiritual herb business. They forced us to hand over a portion of our harvest every year. When we refused, several members of our family were threatened."

"That’s a lie!"

Another Chen Family clansman shouted angrily.

"We have never even dealt with your family!"

But his voice was quickly drowned out.

"My family was also pressured by them."

"They took several spiritual fields from us."

"They demanded resources in exchange for protection."

"They have been using their position to suppress smaller families for years."

One accusation followed another.

At first, the representatives who stepped forward spoke cautiously, some keeping their heads lowered while others avoided meeting the Chen Family’s eyes.

However, as more people began speaking, their hesitation gradually disappeared.

The accusations became increasingly direct, with each new voice adding another supposed grievance against the Chen Family.

Chen Guanshan’s expression became increasingly furious.

"Enough!"

He shouted, his voice carrying across the entire gathering.

"You all know these accusations are false!"

His words silenced several people nearby, but only briefly. Another cultivator immediately stepped forward.

"They may be false to you, Elder Guanshan, but my family knows what happened."

"And mine."

"And mine as well."

The surrounding cultivators began speaking over one another.

The Chen Family members tried to defend themselves, but there were simply too many voices coming from every direction.

"We have never done such a thing!"

"Who told you to make these accusations?"

"Have you lost your minds?"

"Do you really believe the Chen Family would do something like this?"

Their protests were swallowed by the growing uproar. The gathering, which had originally been filled with curiosity and anticipation, had now become chaotic.

Cultivators from the smaller families pointed fingers toward the Chen Family while the Chen Family clansmen argued back.

Several people who had remained silent until now were beginning to whisper among themselves, clearly unsure of whom to believe.

Chen Guanshan looked around at the surrounding faces.

Some were angry, some were suspicious, while others simply watched in silence, unwilling to involve themselves.

Yet the accusations continued.

Above the platform, Zhao Mingyuan remained seated. He simply watched as a faint smile remained on his face. Chen Guanshan’s eyes slowly narrowed as his anger began to give way to realization.

These were not mere accusations.

This is a trap...

The accusations had been prepared long before today’s gathering.

The witnesses, the smaller families, even the convenient appearance of an Imperial Envoy had all been arranged to create a situation where the Chen Family would be placed under suspicion.

And now, with every new voice joining the accusations, the trap was tightening around them.